Refers to sexual purity, moral integrity, and faithfulness, especially in a marital context. Often used in formal or literary settings.
She remained chaste throughout her life.
The concept of chastity has changed over time.
貞操 refers narrowly to sexual fidelity or chastity, while 節操 covers moral steadfastness in general, not just sexual matters.
Composed of 貞 (てい, 'chastity, virtue') and 操 (そう, 'principle, fidelity'). The combination has been used in Japanese to denote moral integrity and sexual purity since at least the early modern period.